Improvement in water-meters



UNITED STATES PATENT OFFICE.

JOSEPH LEWIS, OF MANCHESTER, ENGLAND.

IMPROVEMENT IN WATER-METERS.

Specification forming part of Letters Patent No. l52,235, dated June 23,1874; application led July 16, 1872.

To all whom it may concern n Be it known that I, JOSEPH LEWIS, ofManchester, England, have invented certain Improvements in Water-Meters,of which the following is a specification:

This invention relates to that class of watermeters in which twomeasuring cylinders or chambers are employed, acting to measure thewater by means of' alternating pistons propelled by the water to bemeasured; and the invention consists in a novel method of fixing thecranks in the cylinder-castings, as will be explained; and the inventionfurther consists h1 a novel method of attaching the cranks to thepistons, so that in the absence of an elastic diaphragm the slightdegree of elasticity required in hydraulic pistons is attained, withcertainty of attachment and length of stroke; and the invention furtherconsists of the employment of' a guide-stud fixed in the bottom plateof` the cylinder in each cylinder, upon which the pistons slide, so thatthey work straight without touching the sides of' the cylinder, by whichconstruction I am enabled to employ an elastic diaphragm or a rollingrubber ring for packing, and, at the same time, maintain the necessaryaccuracy of motion requisite in a hydraulic meter; all of which will behereinafter more fully described and explained by reference to theaccompanying drawings and the letters and figures thereon, which f'orm apart of' this specification, and in which- Figure 1 represents anelevation of' the meter, one half` in section to exhibit the interior.Fig. 2 is a top or plan view of the same, with the head removed; Fig. 3,a transverse vertical central section cut through the valve-chamber andbetween the cylinders. Fig. 4 is a horizontal cross-section cut throughthe cylinders and valve at the upper ports. Fig. 5 is a longitudinalvertical central section cut through both cylinders, exhibiting theconstruction of' the interior, and showing, especially, the constructionot' the hemispherical plates and diaphragm adapted for use upon smallmeters.

Like letters of reference made use of' in the several figures designatelike parts.

The cylinders A A and valve-chamber B, which is also cylindrical, arearranged with relation to each other as shown at Fig. 4 of' thedrawings,their axes being parallel to each other, and the sides of the saidcylinders and chamber are cast in one piece, their parallelism andpeculiar form enabling this method of` construction. Being cast in metalmolds, and of a material which will flow and fill the mold readily, theinterior of the cylinders and chamber, after the metal cores arewithdrawn, is in such a regular and uniform condition that it isunnecessary to bore them out at all; in fact, a greater uniformity andvariety is thus attained than is possible by any other -means withoutgreat expense and labor. .The top plate C and bottom plate D are castseparatelyY and secured in place by the through-bolts c. In casting thecylinders and chamber the valve-ports are cored out, and the upperportion of' the division-wall E between the cylinders is formed with arecess to receive the crank-bearing F, which is separate from said walland made of the shape shown, to furnish two bearings for the crank-shaftG, and a central space, partly in the piece F and partly in thedivision-wall, for the screw-wheel carried upon the crank-shaft. Uponeach end of the piece F, and extending quite around its line of contactwith the recessin the division-wall, are cast the grooves f, opposed tosimilar grooves, f, in the division-wall. Vhen the shaft and bearing andscrew-wheel are assembled in place these grooves are filled with meltedlead, thus isolating the cylinders from each other and from the centralspace for the screw-wheel, which communicates with the upper portion ofthe valve-chamber. In meters of large size I employ such a piston, H, asis shown at Fig. 1 of the drawings, which moves free of` thecylinder-sides, and is packed by a rolling rubber ring. rlhisconstruction of' piston and method of packing is old and well known. Toadapt it, however, with success to v meters of' this description, it isnecessary to produce a very slight elasticity in the connection betweenthe piston and the crank, so that any slight inaccuracy in the timingof' the valve-motion or position of the port will not affect the workingof' the mechanism by jarring or straining the parts, the irregularity,it' any exists, being compensated by the elasticity. `With this objectin view, a wooden cross-arm, I, is journaled to the upper end of' thepiston II, and the connecting-rod J, from the crank g, is attached tothis cross-arm. The said wooden crossarm proves to be sufficientlyelastic and durable (being made of hard Wood) to exactly accomplish theobject sought, causing the meter to move with precision, and Withoutconcussion or jar. It is further necessary in meters that the pistonsshould move accurately and in a given plane; hence, to adapt a piston tothe cylinder without fixed packing, which cannot be applied withsuccess, I [ind it essential to provide a means of guiding the pistonindependently of the sides of. the cylinder, and I have, therefore,contrived a guide stud or rod, K, which projects into the cylinder fromthe center of the bottom plate, and enters an aperture passing partlythrough the piston, so that said piston moves up and down accuratelyupon the rod Without contact with the sides, except through thc elasticpacking, either a rolling ring or a diaphragm, Whichever may be used. Insmall-sized meters I find it best and cheapest to employ an elasticdiaphragm, L, extending from the piston to the sides of the cylinder andconnected thereto, as shown t Fig. 5. To insure regularity anduniformity of action, and to prevent Wear, this diaphragm is clampedbetween two hemispherical disks, R It', placed with their convexity tothe diaphragm, and extending nearly to the cylindersides, so that as thepiston moves this rounded bearing is brought against said diaphragmgradually and evenly. The rotary valve M contained in the chamber Bconnects directly to the registering mechanism N of any ordinaryconstruction. This rotary valve may be similar to the one described inLetters Patent forimprovement in rotary valves heretofore granted to meby the United States. Borne upon the crank-shaft Gr between thecylinders, as heretofore mentioned, is a verticall screw-- gear Wheel,O, the periphery of which projects into the upper portion of thevalve-chamber and engages a horizontal screw-gear Wheel, l?, carriedupon the rotary valve. The Wheel O has half as many teeth as the Wheell?, because the crank-shaft must revolve twice to the valve once.

Having thus full y described the construction and operation of myinvention, What I claim, and desire to secure by Letters Patent, is-

l. The piece F, constructed to afford two bearings for the crank-shaftG, and to inclose the screw-gear wheel O, and fitted to thedivision-Wall E by means of the grooves ff', filled with melted lead,substantially as and for the purpose specified.

2. The combination of the crank g, piston H, and an elastic connection,I J, in a Waterlneter, substantially as and for the purpose specified.

3. The guide-stud K, located at the bottom of the cylinder and in thecenter thereof, in combination with a pistoneonstructed to move free ofthe cylinder-sides, and provided with any suitable elastic packing, in aWater-meter cylinder, as specified.

4. The combination of the elastic diaphragm L and the hemisphericaldisks R R', of a diameter large enough to nearly ll the cylinder at thesides, as and for the purposes specified.

JOSEPH LEWIS.

Witnesses JOHN W. MUNDAY, Hnnvn. F. BnUNs.

